Mingo discusses part-time hiring

April 23, 2014

MINGO JUNCTION - Village Council and Mayor John Fabian spent time at Tuesday's council meeting discussing the hiring of a part-time service department worker.

Fabian asked for council's OK to hire a worker for three days a week during the summer at $12 an hour.

Council would have to pass an ordinance changing the village's table of organization since that position doesn't currently exist.

Fabian said the worker would cost the village $3,500 for 10 weeks of work. He said the current number or workers in the service department will have a hard time keeping up with garbage collection, patching potholes and now cutting grass at the cemetery and throughout the village.

Councilman Adam Peeler said the seasonal worker should be paid minimum wage.

"An 18-year-old being paid minimum wage can cut grass," he said.

Other council members said it is difficult to get teenagers to work hard.

Council settled on paying the worker $11 and hour and will bring in legislation to create the position.

In other matters, village resident Jim Raha asked council about the generation fee being proposed by the JB Green Team to make up lost revenue at the Apex Landfill. The landfill owner sold its rail business that resulted in a significant cut in revenue for the solid waste district for Jefferson and Belmont counties.

Raha said the solid waste district is trying to generate revenue on the backs of village residents.

"Mingo Junction can't afford much these days," he said.

"If they lost money off the rail line, they will make it up by knocking on our door," said Councilman James Morrocco.

Fabian said there once was a tax on parcels of land to fund the solid waste district operations.

Village Administrator Steve Maguschak said the village has a trash compactor and the garbage is hauled to Apex. He said rubbish goes once a month to the landfill in Brooke County.

Councilman Michael Herrick said council needs more information on the matter so it can take a stand.

Fabian said Steubenville and Mingo Junction have veto votes on the generation fee.

Council also approved an ordinance setting pool and shelter fees. Resident daily pool fees are free for children under age 3; $3 for ages 3-11; $5 for ages 12-17; and $7 for age 18 and over. The season pool pass fees for residents are $80 for a family; $50, adults; and $40, students and senior citizens.

Nonresident daily pool fees are free for children under age 3; $5 for ages 3-11; $7 for ages 12-17; and $9 for age 18 and over. The season pool pass fees for nonresidents are $225 for a family; $150, adults; and $75, students and senior citizens.

For the hall in the basement of the Municipal Building, residents will pay $100, and nonresidents will be charged $125. Herrick said a $25 deposit will be refunded if the hall is cleaned up after use.

Shelter house fees are $100 for the large shelter for residents, and $200 for nonresidents; $50, small shelter, residents, and $175, nonresidents; and $50, bocci shelter, residents, and $125, nonresidents.

The cost of pool rental for children or an adult party is $150.

Village Solicitor Ernest Wilson said an appeal has been filed in the 7th District Court of Appeals of a common pleas court ruling concerning the denial of a request of G&M Family Partnership to vacate part of Elizabeth Street, all of Susanna Street and an unnamed alley.

G&M Family Partnership owns 9 acres of land in the south end of the village and wanted the streets vacated to create a complete tract of land for development. The streets only exist on paper and haven't been maintained in decades.

But Common Pleas Judge David Henderson said he didn't see a benefit to the village to force the streets to be vacated.

Maguschak also announced half of the water line replacement on the Lincoln Avenue bridge over state Route 7 has been completed. The other half will be completed once the half of the bridge deck replacement south of Lincoln Avenue is finished and the other side of the highway is closed for the remainder of the bridge work.

Maguschak also announced he ordered a Taser to be used by village police officers at a cost of $1,300.

Maguschak said it will cost about $1,900 for special paint for the bottom of the swimming pool. It still has to be determined who will paint the pool.

Herrick also announced the Mingo Revitalization Committee has been busy picking up trash and are planning work at the cemetery, the veterans memorial on Commercial Avenue and other areas around the village.

Anyone who wants to volunteer to work with the committee on projects is asked to call the village administrator's office at (740) 535-1263 and leave a name and phone number, and a committee member will get back to them.